Hampton Inn Lindale/Tyler

The facilities were clean, but there were a lot of inconveniences. Housekeeping knocked on doors at 8 in the morning, and the view from my window looked out on abandoned containers and trailers. In room 322, the TV remote didn't work and the desk chair was broken. Breakfast was subpar, and the TV in the breakfast area was showing biased political news. As a Hilton Honors member, I had to show ID and pay by credit card at the front desk to get a digital key. There was only one washer and dryer, and they took quarters. The desk wouldn't charge a roll of quarters to my room, so I had to leave the property, find an ATM, get cash, and exchange it for a roll. I won't be back if I can help it.

We booked at the last minute, and this Hampton set a high bar for us. Everything was clean, and the staff were friendly, especially the front desk woman who accommodated us when we checked in late. At breakfast, the woman kept the area neat and organized. My daughter hoped for a chocolate muffin, so I asked whether the ones out were chocolate or blueberry. When we learned they were blueberry and didn't take one, the woman noticed and brought my daughter a chocolate muffin a minute later. We'll choose this Hampton again when we're staying overnight in the area. They were wonderful!

Joe's customer service was top notch, but the beds and linens made this the worst hotel stay I've had. I'm on a 2,000 mile trip and this was my first overnight stop. I was exhausted and couldn't sleep. The beds were rock hard, and the pillows were so soft they gave no support, so I rolled up the comforter from the other bed and used it as a pillow. The room looked nice and put together, but all the linens smelled stale and bad, like they'd sat too long in the washer and hadn't dried properly. I was given another set, but it smelled stale too. I had to soak the sheets in fabric freshener. I came here because Holiday Inn Express doesn't allow pets and I'm traveling with my cat. I've stayed in much cheaper hotels that were far more comfortable. The price is way too high for this experience, and I won't stay here again. A Hilton hotel should have a higher standard. It was $130 for a Wednesday night, plus a nonrefundable $75 pet fee, so over $200 for one night without getting a good night's sleep. I do not recommend it at all.

The room was cold enough that I suggest checking the thermostat before you settle in. It had a comfortable bed, a bath and shower, fridge, and iron. Breakfast was standard continental, served from 6 to 10 when we stayed Friday to Saturday. The woman at the desk was nice, as was the man who was on the phones.